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Michael Bisping has called the backlash against Aljamain Sterling “unfair” after the UFC bantamweight champion had to pull out of his scheduled rematch with Petr Yan.
Earlier this week, it was announced that Aljamain Sterling vs Petr Yan 2 will not take place as planned at UFC 267 on Fight Island next month. This is a result of lingering neck issues that Sterling is dealing with. 'Funk Master' beat Yan via disqualification to win the UFC bantamweight championship in one of the most controversial finishes to a title bout in recent memory.
Now, with Yan ready to exact his revenge, Sterling is having to sit out and wait for his chance to defend the strap due to his aforementioned struggles.
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In a recent video released on his YouTube channel, UFC legend and commentator Michael Bisping gave his thoughts on the situation.
“To say that he’s [Aljamain Sterling] avoiding everybody and is playing on this injury, I do think it’s unfair. Listen, I had the same surgery and on one side of my body I’ve got severe atrophy. I’ve got a loss of strength, a loss of muscle.”
“So Aljamain did the right thing in having the surgery and he did it because he wants to now be the champion. Maybe in the past he can fight these guys and beat them but now, every single fight that Aljamain has is against the best person, the number one contender, so he wants to make sure he’s in good health. I get it, it’s disappointing for Petr, Aljamain, the UFC and all the fans, but do me a favour - leave Aljamain alone. Come on man.”
How can Aljamain Sterling win back the fans?
It isn’t going to be his top priority but it does appear that Aljamain Sterling has lost some of the fans he had prior to the first fight against Petr Yan. If he wants to claw them back, he’ll have to give everything he’s got in the rematch and then some in the name of trying to keep hold of his title.
Even if he doesn’t, though, we still agree with Michael Bisping when he says that the criticism being directed at the champion seems foolish. You can question the legitimacy of his injury all you want, but this is a real fighter who has worked hard to fight his way up to the top of the division.
